Marvell announces HomeKit SDK for hardware manufacturers

Marvell says that many hardware developers are already using their HomeKit SDK. The platform includes the SDK, as well as hardware to let appliances communicate over Wi-Fi. The SDK itself is built on top of Marvell's existing EZ-connect development kit, which the company says will greatly speed up development of HomeKit-enabled devices.

HomeKit originally shipped in September 2014 as part of iOS 8, though there have only been a few HomeKit-enabled devices released since then. Many connected plugs, switches, lights, and more are all expected to make their debut beginning spring 2015.

Marvell's IoT Platform is Industry's First to Offer Full HomeKit Support to Hardware Manufacturers

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) — a worldwide leader in providing complete silicon solutions from mobile communications to storage, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud infrastructure, digital entertainment, in-home content delivery and Kinoma® software enabling the "Smart Life and Smart Lifestyle"— today announced that it is the industry's first silicon vendor to develop a fully supported SDK for HomeKit. HomeKit from Apple is a framework in iOS 8 for communicating with and controlling connected accessories in a user's home. Marvell's SDK for HomeKit is available on its EZ-Connect™ IoT Platform, including Marvell's 88MC200 microcontroller and advanced Avastar® 88W801 Wi-Fi system-on-chip (SoC). The SDK is already being used by several hardware manufacturers and paves the way for the first HomeKit accessories to be brought to market.

"At Marvell we aim to expand the role of IoT in the home, which is a significant trend in the new era of 'Smart Life and Smart Lifestyle,'" said Weili Dai, President and Co-Founder at Marvell. "By adding HomeKit support, we hope to empower millions of consumers around the world with innovative connected applications and experiences."

Marvell's EZ-Connect Wi-Fi Microcontroller IoT platform features a powerful Cortex-M3 microcontroller (88MC200) and a best-in-class 802.11n wireless radio (88W8801) that together provide the essential pieces for enabling a HomeKit solution. Marvell's SDK for HomeKit is built on top of the field-proven and industry-leading EZ-Connect Software SDK and greatly simplifies the development of HomeKit accessories. Hardware manufacturers using Marvell's SDK for HomeKit benefit from the complete, supported implementation of the HomeKit framework and are able to save months of development effort and can instead focus their efforts on innovative product features or providing great user experiences.

Marvell's Wi-Fi microcontroller IoT platform powers many IoT products available in the market and has been adopted by many industry leaders developing connected home products such as appliances, lighting, and home-automation as well as products in other IoT markets such as toys, wearables, accessories, and commercial applications.

For more information about the Marvell's IoT solutions, please visit: http://www.marvell.com/solutions/internet-of-things/